Leviticus 20:23
in Leviticus 20You must not follow the statutes of the nations I am driving out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And ye shall not walk in the customs of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.
KJV
And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.
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This verse in Leviticus 20
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
You are therefore to keep all My statutes and ordinances
on Leviticus 20:22-24
The land itself will "vomit you out", as at 18:28, so the country is described as reacting to what happens on it. Verse 23 gives the reason the nations were driven out, "Because they did all these things", and the same threat now stands over Israel.
This site's exposition
Because they did all these things, I abhorred them
The word statutes is used twice in two verses, for God's statutes in verse 22 and for the nations' statutes here. Israel is set between two bodies of custom. The nations are named by what they did, all these things listed in the chapter.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation which I cast out before you,....
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְלֹ֤א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תֵֽלְכוּ֙ | telekhu | you will walk | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| בְּחֻקֹּ֣ת | bechukot | in [the] statutes of | H2708 → | 104 times |
| הַגּ֔וֹי | hagoy | the nation | H1471 → | 561 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אֲנִ֥י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| מְשַׁלֵּ֖חַ | meshaleach | [am] about to send away | H7971 → | 845 times |
| מִפְּנֵיכֶ֑ם | mipeneikhem | from before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| כִּ֤י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֵ֙לֶּה֙ | ʾeleh | these [things] | H428 → | 746 times |
| עָשׂ֔וּ | ʾasu | they have done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וָאָקֻ֖ץ | vaakutz | and I loathed | H6973 → | |
| בָּֽם׃ | bam | <in> <the> them |
וְלֹ֤אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
תֵֽלְכוּ֙you will walk
telekhuH1980 →1546 times
בְּחֻקֹּ֣תin [the] statutes of
bechukotH2708 →104 times
הַגּ֔וֹיthe nation
hagoyH1471 →561 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
אֲנִ֥יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
מְשַׁלֵּ֖חַ[am] about to send away
meshaleachH7971 →845 times
מִפְּנֵיכֶ֑םfrom before you
mipeneikhemH6440 →2123 times
כִּ֤יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֵ֙לֶּה֙these [things]
ʾelehH428 →746 times
עָשׂ֔וּthey have done
ʾasuH6213 →2628 times
וָאָקֻ֖ץand I loathed
vaakutzH6973 →
בָּֽם׃<in> <the> them
bam
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Leviticus 18:24Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 18:12
For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.
- Leviticus 18:30
You must keep My charge not to practice any of the abominable customs that were practiced before you, so that you do not defile yourselves by them. I am the LORD your God.”
- Deuteronomy 18:12
Through
Leviticus 18:3You must not follow the practices of the land of Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not follow the practices of the land of Canaan, into which I am bringing you.…
it leads to
- Exodus 23:24
You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.
- Ezekiel 23:8
She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when men slept with her in her youth, caressed her virgin bosom, and poured out their lust upon her.
- 1 Peter 4:2–4
Consequently, he does not live out his remaining time on earth for human passions, but for the will of God.
- Ezekiel 20:7–8
And I said to them: ‘Each of you must throw away the abominations before his eyes, and you must not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’
- Exodus 23:24
Through
Deuteronomy 9:5It is not because of your righteousness or uprightness of heart that you are going in to possess their land, but it is because of their wickedness that the LORD your God is driving…
it leads to
- Titus 3:5
He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
- Genesis 17:8
And to you and your descendants I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession; and I will be their God.”
- Titus 3:5
Where this verse is studied
About Leviticus

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
